


A Warm Hug Heals a Cold Heart

by Snuffles05



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Angst, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, I didn't plant to make this so long but I couldn't be stopped, I'm sorry I make them suffer like this, M/M, Moral of the story: don't go out in a snow storm, Slow Burn, sportarobbie, this is a gift for a friend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-08 10:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11079273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snuffles05/pseuds/Snuffles05
Summary: It snows in LazyTown. It snows a lot. The kids are inside, Sportacus worries, and Robbie forgot to bring a jacket. An acciental drabble turned novel in which Sportacus realises how Robbie lives and kicks himself and his crystal for not realising. This was a Secret Friends gift for what-would-sportacus-think but you guys can enjoy it too!





	1. Playing In The Snow

**Author's Note:**

> [[ I KNOW, there's a few mistakes in here and I WILL fix them, just later OKAY ]]  
> This was originally written in google docs so I'm going to have to break it up it sections as I see fit for this website. Please enjoy. Also, just in case:
> 
> WARNING: mentions of hypothermia and near death experiences.

It snows in LazyTown. It snows _a lot_. But that isn’t stopping the children from playing outside and building snowmen and igloos. It seemed like nothing could manage to erase the playfulness from the kids because currently, there was a good amount of snow already on the ground, burying their toys and sports equipment, and even more falling from the sky. At the moment, the kids were chasing each other with snowballs in hand, trying to hit their opponent.

 

“I’m gonna get ya!”, yelled Trixie as she chased a mildly terrified Ziggy around what was the sports field before it got covered in snow.

 

Behind them ran Pixel who was holding the remote control of his new machine that threw snowballs far much faster and stronger than the rest of the kids.

 

“Hey! Why does Pixel have a machine, that’s not fair!”, exclaimed Stingy who was winning the game just because he kept stealing everybody’s snowballs.

 

“Stingy, you have to share the snowballs!”, Stephanie called behind the wall she had built as a shield.

 

The temperature fell as the kids kept playing and the snowfall increased and it became harder and harder to see by the minutes. As the snow piled on the roof of the igloo the kids had built, the structure started to slowly cave in. Unfortunately, a careless Ziggy failed to notice this as he quickly entered the shelter to hide from the rest of the kids who had not stopped playing snowball fight.

 

As he stood there curled up in a ball, Ziggy hears the snow bricks cracking and starting to fall out of place, “uh-oh”.

 

Far from the ground, Sportacus' crystal beeps mid-backflip indicating the trouble stirring in LazyTown.

 

“Someone's in trouble!”, and with that, he quickly jumps off his airship and towards the small town that was starting to get hidden by fog.

 

Back in the collapsing igloo, Ziggy starts yelling for help. The roof was now dangerously close to his head and threatened to bury the child in thick snow. “Guys!”, he yelled.

 

As if by miracle, Sportacus arrives just seconds before the tragedy, pulling Ziggy out and, carefully yet quickly setting him far from the now collapsed pile of snow.

 

“Ziggy, are you okay?”, the hero asks.

 

Out of breath, he responds, “Yes, Sportacus, _thank you_ , _thank you_!”.

 

Sportacus chuckles, relieved that Ziggy didn't come to any harm, “what are you guys doing?”, he questioned the rest of the kids.

 

Also relieved by Ziggy’s fortunate escape, Stephanie answers, “we were playing snowball fight. Wanna join us?”.

 

With a sweet smile, he answers, “actually, I think it's starting to snow too hard. It's best if we play inside instead”.

 

Glad to have an excuse to go inside for a cup of hot chocolate, Ziggy exclaims without missing a beat, “yeah! That sounds like a great idea! Let's go inside where it's _warm_ and _bright_ ”.

 

Following suit like little ducklings, the kids run after Sportacus towards the Mayor’s house. Finally back inside, the Mayor welcomes everyone with warm cups and a few blankets.

 

“Ooh, it seems like there's a storm coming, don't you think? I think we should stay inside until it passes, kids”, the Mayor announced with a rather cheerful voice, but that could've just been his normal voice.

 

Nodding, Sportacus adds, “the Mayor is right, kids, it's dangerous to go play in weather like this”. This was met with groans from the kids, except for Ziggy who had had enough of snow for a whole winter.

 

Two hours passed and the weather only got worse. The snow was now easily as high as Ziggy and the lake was solid frozen. Pixel kept checking the weather report every few minutes and reported, “man! doesn't seem like the storm will go away for some hours!”.

 

Ms. Busybody had joined the kids, the Mayor, and Sportacus only after her phone line stopped working due to the snow. All the kids were hurled by the fire with cups in hand. Stephanie and Trixie shared a blanket, and Ziggy and Pixel another. Stingy, by nature, demanded that he have his own blanket and that it must be yellow. After some searching, the Mayor found a blanket that suited Stingy's capricious tastes. Meanwhile, Bessie and Milford chatted in the kitchen. Well, Bessie talked while the Mayor listened. Across from the fire, Sportacus stood looking out the window, worried about his own airship and how it had to endure the storm alone since it seemed too dangerous to go back to it at this point. Yes, he thought, no one should be out in a storm like this one.

 

* * *

 

Far from the warm fire and the sweet chocolate, Robbie was heading back to his lair. He had gone to out of town looking for some spare parts for his next brilliant machine. He would've ordered by phone like he usually does, but the delivery company had cancelled all shipments due to the storm. Being the stubborn person that he is, Robbie refused to wait until the snow calmed to obtain his much-needed pieces. Lately, he's been having spur of productivity and dedication and he wasn't going to wait until that feeling goes away and he goes back to his usual lazy self.

 

It took a lot out of Robbie to drag himself out of the lair in this weather since he _despises_ the cold, but necessity called. Besides, he was running low on cake batter and he'd be damned if he had to endure the storm without any cake.

 

With heavy feet and hands covered by mittens, Robbie dragged his newly purchased pieces through the snow. For every step he took, he could see the light of LazyTown less and less. _Metaphor for my life, I guess_ , he thought. In fact, it was so hard to see that he actually had no idea where he was heading. He turned his head in every direction looking for the way back home but he just saw white snow.

 

“Oh no”.

 


	2. He Should've Brought a Sweater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here have some sad and dying Robbie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: hypothermia and near death experience

“Sportacus, are you okay?”

 

The hero finally snapped out of his head and turned to face Stephanie who had just called him, “hm? Oh yes, I was just wondering if Robbie was alright. I haven't seen him all day and I'm worried that he's out during this storm”.

 

Stephanie smiled, “I'm sure he'll be fine. Knowing Robbie, I doubt he would even go outside if it was mildly cold!”.

 

“I guess you're right,” he said with a small smile, “ he'll be fine”.

 

This was, of course, quite wrong. Even if Robbie had stayed inside, his giant metal lair has no internal heating and snow often slipped through the cracks and covered his cold metal floor. But neither Stephanie nor Sportacus knew this because Robbie rarely had any visitors, particularly in weather like this.

 

* * *

  

 _This is it_ , Robbie said to himself, _this is how I go_. If circumstances were different, Robbie would have been exaggerating as he usually did like the drama queen that he is. But this time, he was dangerously correct. He had run out of his lair in such a hurry in hopes of coming back before the storm that he didn't bother to wrap himself up properly. He only had a hat, a scarf, and some mittens to keep him from freezing, but that was far from enough. His usually pink lips were now purple from the cold and his teeth were chattering loudly.

 

He didn't know how close, or how far, he was from LazyTown. He couldn't see much ahead and his eyes were squinted from the strong winds. He definitely should've stayed home today.

 

After some hours, Robbie was still walking in the snow without a clue where he was going. The snow had now started to affect him gravely, diminishing his common sense. Robbie was used to being delusional from sleep deprivation, but this was different. He was cold, in pain, and worst of all, not home. His miserable situation lead to his mind being flooded with intrusive thoughts.

 

 _I'm never going to find LazyTown again. I'm going to die alone in this storm and I will be buried deep in the snow, forgotten by everyone. Probably for the best, too. I'm only bothering everyone. The kids always yell my name in such annoyance and Sportacus…. that_ elf _….he always looks at me with such pity. I don't want his pity, I want his fear, his respect! I'm the town villain! I'm supposed to scare kids by my presence and stir hatred in the hero's heart every time I succeed in terrorising them!_

 

Robbie was deeply upset that even his eyes dried from the wind managed to roll tears down his cold and blushed cheeks. The sound of slow piano played in his head. This only fueled the tears. _How could I have been such an idiot? Everything I do goes wrong. My schemes and my machines are all failures that reflect my poor excuse of a villain._ The combination of deep sadness and creeping hypothermia slowed down Robbie's heartbeat dangerously low. He was so exhausted that he hadn't noticed that he stopped walking and dropped to the ground. He felt his breath escaping him. With the last efforts he could gather, he whispered to no one, “ _Sportacus…_ ”.

 

* * *

 

He couldn't contain his worry now. Sportacus was visibly anxious and kept pacing back and forth in the living room. He kept repeating to himself that Robbie was fine and that he shouldn't bother him. That he was probably sleeping off the storm and would only shoo away Sportacus if he attempted to check on the villain.

 

He was so enthralled in his thoughts that he barely noticed Ms. Busybody calling him.

 

“Sportacus!”, she called one more time.

 

“Yes, Ms. Busybody?”

 

Walking over to him and placing a hand as close as she could reach to his shoulder, she said, “you seem worried, my dear. Is everything okay?”.

 

“Well, I was just a little bit worried about Robbie, but I'm sure it's nothing. My crystal hasn't beeped”, he tried to force a smile.

 

“Oh, Mr. Rotten! I actually saw him leaving town a while back”, she said without much thought.

 

“ _What?_ ”

 

She nodded, a smile slowly fading from her lipstick covered lips, “yes, he seemed to be heading somewhere to buy some supplies. I heard him mumbling about some pieces for his ‘newest, most brilliant invention yet’”.

 

Now Sportacus had real reason to worry. How could he have been such an idiot? “Wait, you're telling me he went out in weather like this?”.

 

“Yes. It seemed strange to me at first too since I don't see much of him during the winter, but I tend not to gossip about such things. You know, every person to their own--”.

 

Sportacus cut her off, “did you see in what direction he was heading?”, he asked with a voice filled with worry.

 

“Oh sure, he headed towards the forest, but dear, I don't think--”

 

Too late now. The hero was gathering some blankets and hurrying towards the door.

 

“Sportacus, where are you going?”, called Stephanie.

 

Without looking at her, he answers, “Robbie is still out there and I have to save him”.

 

Upon hearing this, the kids and the Mayor gasped. There were choruses of ‘oh no’s and even a quiet ‘holy shit’ from Trixie. However, Sportacus was now out the door and didn't have time to call her out on her language. He did make a mental note to talk to her about profanity, though.

 

* * *

 

Out in the snow, Robbie was now on the brink of unconsciousness. His fingers were wrapped tight around his shopping bag and his face was pressed hard against the plastic. He felt snowflakes touching his cheeks and building upon his limbs. He had become so exhausted that even his thoughts seemed to take a lot of effort to manage. He did, however, manage to feel one thing. And that was anger. He wasn't angry at the snow, but rather at himself. Angry that he had been such a moron to go out despite weather conditions. Angry that he didn't bother to grab something warmer. Angry that he didn't wait until the delivery service was working again. And especially angry that no one knew where he was. He usually doesn't bother to notify anyone when he leaves town, mainly because he comes back after a few hours, but also because he doesn't think anyone would care. Who would ever bother to care about the whereabouts of the villain? If anything, they'd rather not know about him at all. Yet he couldn't escape the feeling he should've told at least Sportacus where he was heading.

 

_Sportacus. What a stupid name._

 

Only capable of feeling one thing at a time, the anger left him and in place came flooding in Sportacus. That warm-hearted elf was probably back in LazyTown enjoying a nice warm fire with the kids. He hates that Sportacus was so loved and admired by the kids. He hates how his smile lights up the whole town and how he is always spreading happiness. His stupid smile kept Robbie awake at night. Well, actually, his insomnia kept him awake at night, but during that time Sportacus invades his private thoughts. _How could there exist such a perfect man?_ That blue elf was the complete opposite of Robbie, yet he couldn't help but feel _something towards_ him. Was it jealousy? Was it admiration? Or was it just a hatred for the fact that Sportacus emphasised how much of a failure Robbie was?

 

That stupid elf was too good. He was too good to Robbie. The villain didn't deserve anyone that worries about him, that bothers to save him out of his own problems, that offers his friendship even after being tricked into dangerous situations.

 

If Robbie wasn't so weak at the moment, he'd be furiously slamming his fists against a hard surface. He couldn't help what he felt towards the hero, and the delusion created by the storm on his weakened body didn't help either. He punished himself mentally for ever thinking he could be anything to the hero. Sportacus was too different from him and he should respect that. It was completely inappropriate for Robbie to be interested in him. He was the villain and villains only end up sad and alone. A long time ago, Robbie had accepted this fate. He had accepted the fact that no one would ever love him back. Even as a child he knew he couldn't be loved. He was too weird and too broken to ever be loved by anyone.

 

He wanted to scream and kick things and cry his eyes out but his now very fragile body protested against it. All he had left to do was wait for the moment that his consciousness slips into nothing.


	3. Rather Cold With You Than Alone in The Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is just what happens when I tried to write domestic fluff but ended up with slow burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Robbie get's very foul-mouth. He also virgin-shames Sportacus (kinda, he's just angry)

Sportacus wanted to cry. He wanted to slam his head against the wall for ever believing Robbie was fine. He had been such an oblivious fool. He was too busy being the perfect hero for the kids that he had overlooked just how much Robbie suffers. Sportacus knew that the villain had insomnia. Too often had he seen him walking around at 6:00 am with dark circles under his eyes indicating that he spend all night out. Sportacus had noticed that under all those ego-fuelling jokes and attempts to seem like a master, Robbie hid insecurities and self-hatred. Too many times he had wondered why his crystal didn't beep for Robbie like it did for the kids. But now he realised that Robbie had accepted his sad reality long before the hero arrived that it didn't register to the crystal as trouble. Robbie had been living in misery for so long that it was just his natural state.

 

The elf walked with some effort on the thick snow, goggles over his eyes to protect him from the strong winds. He was holding on to false hope that if he somehow gets close to Robbie, his crystal will start beeping. Unless ...he's too late and Robbie is…. _no._ He shakes his head as if to shake the thought out and continues walking.

 

It isn't long until he feels a faint humming on his chest. His crystal seems to be picking up someone in distress, but they're too far away for him to tell. With some hope now, Sportacus runs faster towards that small feeling. With every step he takes, the humming gets stronger and eventually turns into vibrations. Finally, Sportacus is able to hone in on a clear direction towards the distress. Exhausted but determined, Sportacus runs even faster, not sparing any seconds.

 

The vibrations have now turned into beeping and suddenly, Sportacus is able to see Robbie through his crystal. He looks almost dead, but the crystal indicates that there's still life left in him, barely. Through blurry visions, he sees his lips purpled and skin paler than ever. He's never seen him in such a bad state.

 

With pain in his legs, Sportacus sees a shadow on the ground and runs towards it with all the energy that he has left.

 

Once he approaches the figure, he sees Robbie unconscious. He looks even worse than his crystal showed him. His usually slicked back hair was now curled and out of place. His eyes were shut by frozen tears and his ears were so dangerously cold and fragile.

 

“Robbie…”, he manages to say. “I'm here. I'm sorry, Robbie. I'm sorry for not coming sooner. I should've known better. I'm sorry”.

 

Feeling tears of his own forming in his eyes, he quickly takes out the blankets he brought with him and wraps up Robbie. He lifts up the now wrapped man and holds him close to his chest. The hero rubs his hands against his back to create warmth.

 

After some time, Sportacus decides that Robbie won't regain consciousness until they're both back inside and around a fire. He lifts the thin man with some struggle, ignoring his own exhaustion.

 

He drags his protesting body across the snow until he spots the familiar cow billboard. Since Robbie's lair is the closest to the forest, he decided to head there instead of back to the Mayor’s house. Besides, he doubts Robbie would appreciate taking him where everyone is so they can see him in such a bad state. No, the lair will do for now.

 

Finally at the entrance behind the billboard, Sportacus manages to open a snow covered hatch and slid down with Robbie still clinging to him. Once they both reach the inside the lair, the hero realises how poor Robbie's living conditions are. There's snow covering the floor and furniture. His work tables are all covered with frozen half-eaten meals, and there are various machine pieces dispersed around.

 

Also realising that there's little heat inside here, Sportacus decides to looks for a much warmed room. There _had_ to be at least a bedroom in this place. After some running around with the villain unconscious on his shoulder, Sportacus finally finds what seems to be an old bedroom. What he imagines is the bed is covered with boxes of old fabric and metal pieces. There's paper all over the floor of scratched off sketches and crumpled notes. Despite the mess, this room is much warmer than the rest of the lair.

 

In a hurry, Sportacus clears the bed and places Robbie on it. His lips are no longer purple but his body is still shivering. He tries to cover him with all the blankets he has plus the ones already from the bed but this does little to warm Robbie's body.

 

Remembering how his father has taught him to deal with hypothermia back when he was training to be a hero, he starts to strip. He remembers how his father told him that direct body heat is much warmer than one hundred layers of clothing. So without giving it much thought, he removed his damp clothes, leaving only his underwear. He also started to remove the snow-covered clothes that Robbie was wearing, but he didn't want to invade his personal space any further, so he clothed him with some sweatpants he found laying around instead of leaving him clad in his underwear.

 

Carefully, Sportacus laid next to Robbie who was still shivering and held him close to his chest. He wrapped his limbs around the tall man and covered himself and the man with the many blankets.

 

* * *

 

Pain. That's the first thing that came to his mind. A horrible headache filled his head, followed by an intense hunger. He must've forgotten to eat again. Robbie was used to waking up incredibly hungry, so hungry that' his stomach stung. He was also used to the painful headaches. These were the symptoms of his frequent sleepless nights. But the fact that he had woken up relieved Robbie since it was a sign that he had _at least_ fallen asleep for once. Now all he had to do was drag his sorry ass to the kitchen and eat whatever he had, which was usually cake.

 

Wait, hold on. Wasn't Robbie out of cake batter? He had been meaning to go out and buy some more. Actually, it was all coming back to him now. He remembers going out the previous night to buy something, but he didn't remember arriving home. How _did_ he get home?

 

Finally, Robbie opened his eyes. He wasn't in his lair. Or was he? No, he definitely was in his lair, he recognised the tall blue ceiling. But this ceiling was a bit different. The pipes and tiles were all wrong. He had memorised the pattern on the ceiling above his armchair after countless hours of numbingly staring at it, unable to fall asleep.

 

So where was he? He looked to his left and saw boxes. Those were his, alright, but he barely recognised the materials inside of it. With some effort, he was able to read the dates on the label. These boxes were from quite a long time ago. Some old failed inventions and some sketches that never saw the light. And even some letters he had received from his cousin, all signed “ _GG"_ with a glittery pen (and some with was he hoped wasn't blood).

 

He was regaining the feeling of his limbs at last. He felt a weight on him. He lifted up his arm and felt the soft fabric of multiple blankets engulfing him. At the same time, he noticed he wasn't wearing his usual blue undershirt. In fact, his whole chest was bare. This sent a feeling of confusion and worry throughout his spine. Speaking of, he felt a hand on his back. He didn't….bring anyone home, did he? No, that was impossible. He doesn't remember meeting anyone last night. Or maybe he bumped into someone on his way back and then got plastered and...nah. Robbie didn't do that anymore. His careless bachelor years had disappeared when he moved into this bunker.

 

Determined to find out who was in bed with him, he carefully turned his head. Inch by inch, he saw a tanned forearm with thin blonde hairs, then he saw a toned muscular arm with freckles decorating it like stars in a constellation. And finally, he saw a head covered in golden locks. They were the most beautiful thing Robbie had ever seen. Each curl faded from brown to golden tips. He was sure that in the sun, they look like a waterfall of gold. Robbie was about to reach out his hand to feel them when he noticed the moustache. Oh god, not the moustache, not _that_ moustache.

 

“ _What?!_ ”

 

Not realising he had yelled that out loud, he was startled by the sudden sound of his own voice. But he was even more startled that his scream woke up the man in bed with him and that had now opened his eyes, revealing them to be a beautiful shade of baby blue.

 

“Robbie?”, Sportacus said in his usual accent.

 

Panicking, the villain attempted to jump out of bed but miserably failed and fell on the floor, hurting his already sore back. The hero, now fully awake, hurried to help Robbie up, but he slapped his offering hand away.

 

“ _Get away from me!_ ”

 

“Robbie, please, I'm only trying to---”

 

He gasped for air and exhaled, saying, “what the fuck is going on?”, he looked at Sportacus with menacing eyes, “why are you here?! _Why are you naked?!_ ”, he looked down at himself, “ _why am_ I _naked??!_ ”.

 

Trying to calm a very obviously distraught Robbie, he spoke carefully, “Robbie, please let me explain--”

 

“Explain what?!”, he yelled, “that we spent the night together in my bed?!”

 

Oblivious to what that actually meant, Sportacus answered, “well, yes, we couldn't fit in your armchair, and it was covered in snow--”

 

“Oh my god! I did the town hero!” Robbie buried his face in his palms, “....Glanni is going to give me the worst shit for this….”

 

Catching onto what Robbie means, Sportacus says, “wait, do you think that we… _no!_ No, we didn't do..!”

 

The villain waited for an answer with fear in his eyes, but the elf remained silent. “ _You can't even say it! Oh, I am so screwed_ ”

 

“ROBBIE!”, Sportacus screamed to stop Robbie from jumping to any further conclusions, “nothing happened, I swear!”

 

Snapping out of it, he finally faces Sportacus, spotting those beautiful eyes from before, “what?”

 

“Don't you remember what happened?”

 

“..ummm….did we have a sleepover?”

 

For the first time since yesterday, Sportacus chuckled, “no, Robbie, I rescued you from the storm and brought you back here. I found you unconscious on the snow and you were very cold. I didn't want to expose you any longer to the cold and your lair was the closest shelter, so I brought you here”.

 

“Oh”, Robbie said after a long pause. The memories of the storm came creeping back. He remembers lying on the cold snow and thinking he was going to die. He remembered feeling hopeless and whispering Sportacus' name before falling in a paralysing coma. This made his ears turn red and his face burn. Had he really been thinking of that blue elf in his death bed? And now that same elf is in his bed showing off his blue underwear. What did that say about Robbie?

 

Breaking the silence, Sportacus spoke, “Robbie….why were you out in the cold?”

 

Feeling still awkward, Robbie Reuben's the back of his neck, “well, I went out to buy some pieces for my machines, and some food. But when I was heading back I kinda got lost and...fainted, I guess”.

 

“Robbie, you should be more careful when going out during storms. You shouldn't be going out at all”, Sportacus gasped.

 

“I know, Sportaflop, I _know_ , but I'm a _moron_ and was too _impatient_ to wait until today and--”

 

“Robbie, you're not a moron”, he cut him off, “you're brilliant, and so are your machines”.

 

“Shut up, Sportasput, you don't know what you're talking about”.

 

Sportacus smiled, “of course I do, you're the best at schemes! Your disguises are so good and your inventions are amazing!”

 

Blushing, he continues to brush him off, “no, you're just saying that to make me feel better about the fact that I almost died”.

 

“Robbie”, he sighed, “I _love_ your ideas. I really do, okay?”

 

What he had just said didn't process in Robbie. Did the town hero just say he _loves_ his ideas? He must still be hallucinating, that couldn't be right.

 

“Well, uh, good. Because they're amazing and so am I”, he spoke in a different tone, “now, if you excuse me, I must get dressed and eat so if you could go away, thanks”.

 

Sportacus stopped smiling. Robbie was truly a complicated guy. “I'm sorry if I invaded your personal space, Robbie, I didn't mean to”.

 

The villain’s heart broke over the visibly sad hero, yet his stupid mouth didn't listen to his brain and instead said, “Sure, whatever. Now, if you can collect your clothes and head out the door, that'd be great”.

 

Sportacus just nodded and collected his scattered clothes. He had stripped so quickly last night that he actually managed to throw his boots across the room. Finally all dressed, he headed for the hatch. He was a little sad that Robbie reacted badly to his help, but he had learned yesterday that Robbie has a hard time accepting love, so he doesn't say anything else. Without a struggle, he climbed up the hatch a pushed the lid.

 

It didn't move.

 

He pushed it again, but it was stuck. Even with his immense strength, Sportacus couldn't get the hatch to open. The snow must've piled up during the night and sealed the entrance. So he climbed back down and back to the bedroom.

 

“Uh, Robbie?”

 

“What is is, Sportarude? I thought I told you to go away”.

 

Without wanting to upset Robbie any further, he spoke with care, "um, I think we're trapped".

 

“We _what?!_ ”

 

“The hatch isn't opening. I think it's stuck from the snow”.

 

Robbie's eyes actually went dead and he smiled crookedly, “we are super fucked”.

 

“Robbie, please, language”.

 

“Oh shut the fuck up, Sportababy”, he snapped at him, “you can't even say the word ‘sex’ without getting flustered. What kind of grown ass adult is embarrassed to say sex? Have you ever fucked? Have you ever even _kissed?_ ”

 

Sportacus was actually kind of offended now, “well, n-no, I haven't. But I'm sure I can be good at it!”.

 

“Oh yeah? Fucking prove it!”. He instantly regretted saying that.

 

They both went silent. It was now that Robbie had realised that he was still shirtless and Sportacus was fully dressed. Without his permission, his brain started to think about how Sportacus probably had to undress him to get him into those sweats. This made him blush hard.

 

“ _Just go away will you?!_ ”

 

“But, Robbie, the hatch-”

 

“ _Aaaaaaaaaagh!_ ”, he groaned remembering the situation that they were in.

 

Sportacus bounced on the balls of his feet and waited for Robbie to tell him what to do. He felt terrible for invading his personal space but he had nowhere to go. He was worried about the kids and how they might be doing. They're probably sick and worried about Sportacus. He just realised that they still don't know if he made it out alive.

 

“Uh, can I ask for a favour?”

 

The villain sighed, “what is it now, Sportaheadache?”

 

He chuckled a bit, amused at Robbie's abilities to twist his name I to many different nicknames, “could you check on the kids with your periscope and make sure they're ok?”

 

“Are you fu--?”, he sighed again, “fine”.

 

He went out of the bedroom, across the snow covered lair, up the stairs, and stuck his face into the periscope. It took some effort to dig it out of the snow, but he managed to pop up right in front of the Mayor’s window. There, he saw the kids spread out on the floor with blankets. They seemed worried, probably about that elf, figured Robbie.

 

The pink one managed to notice the periscope and ran to the window.

 

“Robbie? Is that you?”, she asked.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm alive”, the periscope said.

 

She clapped and jumped in excitement, “oh thank goodness! We were so worried. And Sportacus--is he with you?”.

 

“Yes, that blue kangaroo is here too. The hatch won't open and we're trapped inside my lair. But otherwise, we're fine”.

 

“Oh no, Robbie, that's terrible! We're trapped inside my house too! The door won't open, no matter how hard we push”.

 

“That's snow for you, kid”, he said sarcastically, “well, guess we won't see each other until the snow clears. Bye bye!”. He started to pull back the periscope when the girl spoke again.

 

“Wait, Robbie!”

 

“What do you want kid, I have to get dressed”.

 

“What? Why aren't you dr--never mind. Could you tell Sportacus we're all fine?”

 

Robbie rolled his eyes despite knowing she couldn't see him do so, “of course, Pinkie”.

 

He walked back to where Sportacus was standing. “They're all fine”.

 

Sportacus let go of a breath he had been holding in. “Thank goodness. I owe you one, Robbie”.

 

“Yeah, well, you did save me so I guess we're even. Now, if you _excuse me_ , I'm going to get dressed, finally”.

 

He starts to walk back when he suddenly trips down the stairs and slammed his nose against the cold snow. The hero hurried to help him, but Robbie was already getting back up. There was a red stain where his face had hit the snow and his nose was bleeding badly.

 

“Aw, shit”.

 

“Robbie are you okay?!”, he picked him up from the snow and put his hand to his face, “you're burning up!”.

 

With a congested voice, “well, I did almost die yesterday”.

 

Ignoring his comment, Sportacus lifted Robbie bridal style and carried him to the bed once more. His nose was spilling blood on Sportacus’ chest and his blue uniform, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the well-being of the villain in his arms. As he placed him down on the blanket covered bed, he brushed away the curly hair that had stuck to his sweaty forehead. Robbie was definitely not in good shape. Despite his fever, he felt Robbie shivering. The image of an unconscious and pale Robbie came back to Sportacus. He had to stay with Robbie until he's recovered. He doesn't care if Robbie fights against it, the hero has to save the villain.

 

Once again, Sportacus stripped, but this time he left his undershirt on as well. He climbed into bed and placed Robbie against his chest, running his hands through his damp hair.

 

“I hate you, you know”.

 

“What's that?”

 

Robbie repeated, “I said I hate you”.

 

Sportacus frowned but nevertheless he continued to stroke his hair, “why do you say that?”

 

“Because you're too perfect. Every time I see you I'm reminded that I'm a failure. Every time I see you with the kids I'm reminded that I was never loved like you love them. I was never looked after, never had a good parental figure. And even if you're here now, that doesn't change the fact that I had my childhood stolen. I'm so touch starved, Sportaflop. I wasn't loved and I don't know how to love back. And I fucking hate that you're giving the kids everything that I couldn't have”.

 

Sportacus wasn't sure what to say. Should he apologise? He hasn't exactly done anything wrong, but he felt that he had to say how sorry he was that Robbie felt that way. How his crystal had failed to notice Robbie's loneliness and cries for help.

 

“I'm sorry my crystal doesn't beep for you”.

 

“Don't be. Your crystal beeps when someone needs help, yes? Well, I don't need your help. I can't be helped, that's why it doesn't beep for me, I'm helpless”, Robbie told him.

 

“You're not helpless, you just have to let me help you”.

 

Robbie stood up and turned to face him, “I told you, Sportastupid, I'm helpless”. He slumped back down.

 

“That's just the fever talking”, he continued to stroke his hair.

 

“Whatever”, he closed his eyes and leaned back, “just shut up and let me sleep”.

 

“Sure thing, Robbie”.


	4. Getting Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this starts to get domestic and shit but still angsty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: uh, they talk about sex and Sportavirgin gets Sportashamed and gets Sportadefensive and practically calls Robbie a whore. Also, tw for starvation.

Sportacus remained awake while Robbie slept on his chest. The elf had a strict internal schedule that prevented him from napping during the day even if he wanted to, but he had to sacrifice this for Robbie. He thought about his airship once more, and how Robbie could recover better there. His ship had the necessary medical tools to help him recover, but they were stuck in Robbie's dark and cold lair.

 

He kept wondering how Robbie has endured all those winters in here, alone, covered in snow. He knows he shouldn't, but he takes blame for allowing Robbie to live in such poor conditions. The hero's job was to make sure everyone was happy and healthy, but he had failed to help Robbie. Even if Robbie refused to take any help, it was in his nature to do something about it. He had never felt so determined to help a villain like Robbie. In the past, he has had tried to talk villains from other towns out of crime. Some of them were reluctant at first, but Sportacus had managed to change their mindset. Yes, some of them kept being criminals, but Sportacus made a difference in their lives. But for Robbie, it was completely different. Robbie emotionally compromised him. He is too close to Robbie. The elf has never felt the feelings he had for Robbie. An intense desire to protect this man and to destroy anyone who dared harm him. This made him feel primal, and he disliked it. Sportacus was always in control of himself. A skilled acrobat like himself had powerful control over his own body, a discipline that he had developed over the years. But Robbie strips him of that. He didn't feel like a hero around Robbie. He felt like a normal guy.

 

What was it about Robbie that made Sportacus lose his self-control?

 

The moment he had seen Robbie in the brink of death, lips purple and pale skin, the hero had lost his composure. He was actually kind of glad that the kids weren't here to see him like this. He didn't want the kids to see that he was torn apart by his emotions and that he couldn't control them. He had to be a good example for the kids, teaching them that emotions aren't bad and that you should listen to them and make sure you don't hurt anyone's feelings.

 

Despite knowing all of this, he couldn't help himself. What a hypocrite he was for teaching the kids about emotions if Sportacus was so inexperienced himself. Robbie was right, he had never been with anyone. He had been a hero for so long that he never took time to listen to his own feelings. And he hadn't had to until yesterday. Well, it goes a little while back than yesterday, but the events of the previous day had been a climax in the story of Sportacus and Robbie

 

And now here they were, undressed, laying in bed, trapped in for who know how long. What did that say about Sportacus?

 

* * *

 

“Your leg is making mine numb”

 

“What?”

 

“I said,” Robbie protested, “you huge-ass leg is making mine numb!”

 

Processing what Robbie had just said, Sportacus moves his legs off of Robbie's. “Sorry”.

 

“Don't be,” he shifts positions so that they're both sitting up like an old married couple in bed, “shouldn't you be flipping or whatnot by now?”

 

“It's okay to take a day off sometimes”

 

“Sure, but it's been….,” he paused to think, “dear god, how long has it been?”

 

Sportacus chuckled, “it's only been two days, Robbie”.

 

“Oh”.

 

“But now that you've mentioned it, I should stretch a little”, the elf started to get up from the bed but was stopped by a gripping hand.

 

“No, stay”

 

He smiled again, “I have to stretch or otherwise I'll get stiff”.

 

“But I like sleeping with you!”, oh, he was going to regret saying that.

 

Sportacus stood still for a moment. “If you want, I can stay a little longer”

 

“No!”, he put his arms out to prevent him from getting back in bed, “I changed my mind, go do your flippity flopping and let me be, I'll sleep fine without you”.

 

“Okay, Robbie,” he sounded unsure, “I'll be outside if you need me”.

 

“I won't!”. Man, Robbie really hated his mouth.

 

Sportacus was hesitant to stretch outside of Robbie room, not only because there was still several inches of snow there, but he didn’t want to leave him unsupervised. He knows Robbie is an adult and has been living all alone for so long without anyone taking care of him, but after learning how he lives, he doubts Robbie is capable of taking care of himself in a healthy way. Sportacus is used to taking care of kids who have no one to look out for them, but Robbie isn’t a kid. He’s endured so much for so long that his misery has just become a regular part of his life. That made Sportacus angry, angry that he hadn’t done something earlier.

 

His crystal gave him a slight hum, indicating that it sensed his distress.

 

“I know, I know. I can’t help it, ok? I worry about him”.

 

He continued to do jumping-jacks, then elaborate push ups that involved him jumping, twisting and clapping, and he also did a few straddle jumps. The elf would've also done flips, but there was a lot of delicate machine pieces and he didn't want to anger Robbie any further by breaking something.

 

Sportacus thought about how different his relationship with the villain is now compared to 3 days ago. He's gotten to know him better, even if it was under unpleasant circumstances. They've also been a lot more intimate since he found him almost dead on the snow. If it wasn't for that, they would have never slept in the same bed, half-dressed and clinging tight to each other. Well.....maybe if they were....nah. Relationships were a completely foreign territory for Sportacus. He had never been interested in any of the women presented to him by his parents. He has never been interested in anyone, now that he thought about it. Sure, he's seen good-looking people, but they never caught his attention in that way. Besides, he knew nothing about Robbie's love history. _Adding that to the list of things I don't know about Robbie_ , he thought.

 

Back inside the bedroom, Robbie attempted to fall asleep. Nothing. Well, at least he was getting back to being his old self.

 

"I want to get to know you".

 

"What?"

 

"I'd like to get to know you better", the elf repeated himself.

 

"Why the hell would you want to do that?", asked Robbie, sounding more hostile than he intended.

 

"Well, I was thinking how I don't know much about you and I want to change that".

 

The villain simply rolled his eyes and pulled the blankets over his head. "There's nothing to _know_ ".

 

Sportacus gave a small smile, "don't say that. I'm sure there are plenty interesting things about you!".

 

There was a short pause. "No, go away".

 

The hero sighed and started to walk away. A few seconds later, there was a shuffle behind him.

 

"Wait", he sighed, "fine, I'll tell you whatever you want to know--but only because I can't sleep!".

 

Sportacus walked back to the bed and settled on the edge of it. Once again, he smiled at Robbie, reassuring him that he's glad to listen.

 

Robbie caught him smiling and quickly stared down at his own hands. "Well, what do you want to know?".

 

The elf hadn't thought about that. What should he ask him? He didn't want to be too intrusive, but he also didn't want to bore Robbie with simple questions. "Uh, why don't you start with your inventions. Where did you learn to build?".

 

"My cousin. Well, he encouraged me. He made machines for his schemes and they fascinated me. Once he learned that I was into his machines, he bought me books. Or....he stole some from me".

 

This Sportacus found interesting. Not only the fact that his cousin seemed to be a villain just like Robbie but how close they seemed to be. "Is your cousin a villain too?"

 

"Yes. Much better than me", admitted Robbie, "his schemes were much more dangerous. He was a true criminal. Not me though, I'm just a menace".

 

"You're not a menace, Robbie!", said the hero. He disliked when Robbie put himself down like that.

 

Robbie brushed him off, "whatever. Is that it?"

 

Sportacus wanted to ask Robbie about his love life, but he wasn't sure if he'd be comfortable with that. He thought about another topic in silence, fidgeting with his hands. Robbie noticed this.

 

"There's no need to be embarrassed. I'm an open book".

 

Relieved, the elf asked with as much confidence as he could muster. "Have you ever dated?".

 

His question was met with stunned silence. Had he crossed some sort of forbidden boundary? They'd just started to talk and now he's ruined that.

 

Finally, Robbie broke the now awkward silence. "Really, that's your question?". Sportacus nodded shyly. "There's not much to it. Yes, I dated. Then it ended, then I dated again, and it ended again. Repeat that a few more times and there you have it. This was all years ago, though. I don't know if you've noticed, but I don't go out much anymore".

 

So Robbie had more experience than Sportacus. Well, that wasn't hard. Hell, even the Mayor had more experience than him. But still, it made him feel innocent, and not in a good way.

 

Sportacus didn't notice he had gone silent until Robbie asked him a question in return. "Have _you_ ever dated, Sportasilent?"

 

"Huh? Oh, um.....No", he admitted, "I have not".

 

Robbie wanted to laugh so badly but seeing the face of defeat on the hero's face held him back."Ah......why?". _Why they hell would you ask that, idiot!?_

 

“I--I just haven’t found the time!”, he explained, “I’m busy saving people. I haven't had the time to look at someone like that”.

 

“ _Really?_ ”, oh, god why did he have to say it like that?!

  

Sportacus got a little defensive, "Y-yes, really!"

 

"Ah, Sporty--Sportacus, I didn't mean it like that--". Too late, the damage was done.

 

Sportacus rose from the bed, ears tinted red. "Like I said, I'm busy, saving people and such. A-also, I haven't found anyone who catches my attention. I'm not like you who can just settle for the person across the bar".

 

Now it was Robbie's turn to get defensive. "Hey! Listen, _Sportasquirt_ , just because I _have_ dated and been guys doesn't mean I just pick up some whore off the corner!".

 

That was the first time Sportacus ever heard Robbie say he dates men. It doesn't really make a difference to Sportacus, but it puts things into perspective. It explains why Robbie thought he and Sportacus had done something when he woke up to find they were both undressed.

 

They both stood there silent. That was the second time they've fought since being trapped in here. They were both so used to living alone and having very different lifestyles that being in the same room for so long started to get to them.

 

"I'm sorry I acted like that, Robbie", apologised Sportacus, finally breaking yet another silence.

 

Robbie wasn't sure how to respond. He usually wasn't apologised to. "Um, thanks," Wrong answer. "I'm sorry too".

 

Now what? They can't really walk away from an awkward conversation since they're literally trapped in. Robbie was used to being in all day, but Sportacus was getting uneasy. Elves weren't made to be inside all day.  He missed his airship full of sportscandy, and he missed the kids. Actually, speaking of sportscandy, Sportacus realised that he was starving. He hadn't eaten since he left the Mayor's house to rescue Robbie.

 

"Robbie? Do you have any food?", he asked softly.

 

"Uh, barely. I'd have to check the fridge, hold on". He started to get up from the bed but the elf stopped him.

 

"No, it's okay, I'll get it. You're still recovering".

 

This time, Robbie didn't put up a fight. He didn't feel like moving anyways.

 

Sportacus went out of the room and towards the main area. On his way there he realised that he had no idea where Robbie's kitchen may be, if he even had one. Well, where would he make all his cakes? Yes, there had to have a kitchen somewhere in this giant metal bunker. Finally, Sportacus spots a big fridge the same colour as the rest of the furniture; metallic blue and teal. He opens it, and much to his surprise, it's full of fresh fruits and vegetables. There were carrots, apples, bananas, watermelons, etc. Just looking at them gave energy to the hero. He grabbed one of each, placed them in a bowl, and walked back to the bedroom.

 

"Robbie, I never knew that you had so much sportscandy!".

 

The moment Robbie saw the elf practically grinning from ear to ear and carrying a handful of fruit, he swears he got a mini heart attack.

 

"Ah! I just have those for--for experiments!", he gave as an excuse, "how do you think I make sugar apples, huh? I just have them for science reasons!".

 

Sportacus just chuckled, "you use _all_ of these fresh fruits and vegetables?".

 

"Yes! They have to be fresh so they don't stink up my refrigerator and ruin my cakes with fruity smells". This was partially true. Robbie did indeed use actual fruits for his experiments, but he also bought a lot just in case; just in case something hits him and he suddenly decides to be healthy. This has never happened, however, most of the time he just ends up sneaking all the uneaten fruits and vegetables in the kids' gardens. He may be a villain but he wasn't going to _waste_ food like that, even if it was healthy. "But since I'm not doing any experiments at the moment you're welcome to rid my fridge of the garbage that you call sportscandy".

 

"Okay", the elf said with a smile. He would gladly eat a lot of sportscandy, but he didn't want to take advantage of Robbie's hospitality if he could even call it that.

 

That stupid elf and his stupid smile. He'd be damned if Sportakook ever dared to imagine that he, Robbie Rotten, would ever be healthy. Robbie watched as he happily chewed on the fruit, quickly finishing it and moving on to the next one. _He looks like a goddamn rabbit,_ he thought. _A blue rabbit with black whiskers and a cute smile. No! not cute. A stupid smile. Yes, that's what it was. Haha...._

 

Robbie's thoughts became a little blurry. He saw Sportacus munch happily on the fruit, and only then did he remember that he hasn't eaten in 78 hours. He usually forgets to eat for a whole day but between running out of cake batter and almost being frozen to death, it had just escaped him. He felt a terrible pain in his stomach once he became conscious of how much he was _starving_. He winced at the pain.

 

Sportacus immediately stopped eating and looked up at a curled up Robbie. “Are you okay? Robbie?”. The man didn't answer. He just looked up at the elf with watery eyes. “Robbie, what's wrong?!”.

 

“I'm--ah--very hungry”, he managed between gritted teeth.

 

“How long has it been since you've eaten?”

 

“Um, like 3 days….”

 

“ _Three days?_ Robbie, that's very bad for you! You won't get better if you don't give energy to your body”, exclaimed the hero.

 

“Yeah, yeah, would you just fetch me some food?” he said, “but no sportscandy!”

 

Sportacus shook his head. "Robbie, eating unhealthy food won't help you get better. You have to eat something that is good for you!".

 

"No! I refuse to eat _sportscandy_!"

 

"Robbie, _please_ ", the elf begged, "I-I'll try to find something healthy that you like".

 

The villain gave him a smug grin, "Ha! good luck with that, Sportanoodle".

 

Hurrying back to the kitchen, Sportacus tried to come up with a healthy food that was sugary enough for Robbie. He thought about all the remedies that he was taught as a child. Sweets were definitely something he should avoid since it hardly had any protein to help Robbie recover, but he had no other options. He needed vitamins.

 

He opened the fridge that was still full of sportscandy. Besides that, there was some milk and a cereal box (?). Sportacus could make some fruit juice to provide vitamins and give Robbie some cereal as well for proteins. He could also add a bit of sugar to suit Robbie's needs. Yes, that's it.

 

The hero quickly prepared Robbie his much-needed meal with delicacy, he didn't want to torture Robbie any more than he already was. At last, he finished adding some sugar to the cereal and carefully balanced the dishes on his forearm and walked back to the bedroom.

 

"Ah! there you are, Sportacook," teased Robbie, "I was beginning to think you were going had left me to starve".

 

Sportacus placed the food on the boxes next to the bed. He instructed Robbie to sit up and handed him the glass of fruit juice. The villain simply inspected the weird liquid presented before him.

 

"What is this?", he said as he sniffed it.

 

"Juice".

 

"But I--"

 

"You need the vitamins", Sportacus informed.

 

Hesitantly, Robbie took a sip from the glass. It wasn't that bad. It was sweet enough for his liking and apparently, it was good for him. He quickly finished that, relieved that his mouth no longer felt dry. He ate the cereal will less hesitation. The elf was decent enough to serve him his favourite cereal that had sugary gummies. He usually left the wheat portion of the cereal but Sportacus insisted that he needed the protein. When he was finally done, he set the dishes aside and wiped his mouth with the blanket.

 

Sportacus sighed. "Robbie, why don't you like to eat healthily?".

 

"I don't have the taste buds for it," he admitted, "I can't help that I have a sweet tooth".

 

"It's okay to like sweet stuff, but you have to eat healthy things to balance it out," lectured the hero, "there are plenty of healthy stuff that is sweet".

 

Robbie scoffed, "yeah right".

 

"It's true! Apples have plenty of sugar and they're very good for you!"

 

"Whatever," Robbie said as he settled back in bed, "just let me be. I'm finally sleepy".

 

The elf sighed once more, "Okay, Robbie". He started to walk out.

 

"Wait". Sportacus turned around. "Could you....stay with me? Just to make sure I fall asleep this time".

 

Sportacus gave him a warm smile as he walked over to the bed, "of course, Robbie".

 

He took off his boots and his hat and set them down on one of the many boxes around the room. He gently climbed in bed and settled next to Robbie, assuming the same position that they had woken up as. He closed his eyes and let out a long exhale. Robbie kept his eyes open, staring at all his failed sketches scatter around the room. He still wasn't sure why the hero was so dedicated to saving him. He never had anyone worry about him like that, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He wasn't sure how to feel about the elf sleeping next to him. Are they friends? Enemies? Temporary cuddle buddies? The villain wasn't comfortable in putting a label on their relationship without asking Sportacus first. He had to be sure he wasn't overstepping his boundaries more than he already was.


	5. Oblivious, Pining and Naked in Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yup, just like the title said

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's short
> 
> WARNINGS: mentions of Robbie's hypothermia and depression

Robbie only slept for about 4 hours. Despite having the comfort of a warm body embracing him, he still laid awake. It was actually the fact that it was _Sportacus_ of all people that kept him awake. He barely knew the guy. Yes, they were enemies; he was the villain and Sportacus the hero. But beyond that, what were they? They couldn't call each other acquaintances after all they've gone through. Maybe friends but he hasn't really had any friends so he's not sure of what kind of relationship that would be. And he didn't want it to call it romantic, even if he did have experience with that. All his relationships were more physical than emotional. He really didn't date with the intentions of being with that person for a long time. He just got consent from people to get physical and called that dating. And he seriously doubts that Sportacus would ever be a purely physical guy, despite his athleticism. The elf was actually a pretty emotional person. He wore his heart in his sleeve and often put people's feelings before his own. He was like a mirror of Robbie.

 

He was actually surprised Sportacus managed to sleep without waking up. He'd imagine the elf would be jumping around and being his normal flippity-flopping self. _I suppose I really tired him enough this time_ , Robbie thought. He felt a little guilty about that. It was odd to him seeing the hero peacefully lying in bed without moving or fidgeting. This came to him as a pleasant surprise because it meant that if they were ever to be friends, that jumping bean wouldn't always be moving too fast for Robbie to keep up.

 

Well, not like that would ever happen. Robbie was sure that after the snow melted away and Sportacus was free to go far away from Robbie and that everything would return to normal; the villain with his rotten schemes and the hero there to save the day. Robbie was a fool to ever think they could be anything.

 

And with that mindset, Robbie went back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Sportacus didn't want to move and wake up Robbie. The villain must be exhausted from all he's had to endure these past days and he had to get sleep to recover. The hero’s body wasn't used to being inactive for so long but he was willing to sacrifice a few days of exercise if that meant that Robbie will be better.

 

He cared too much about him. He's gone over this thought before but it still bothered him. He was sure Robbie despises him, as he's said before, but he was determined to help.

 

Sportacus watched as Robbie's back fell and rose from his breathing. He's never seen the villain sleeping so peacefully. Usually, he saw him plopped down on a bench with simply a pillow and some fur to plug his ears with. But now, he looked less under stress. His hair was messy, he wasn't wearing his usual striped suit, and most importantly, he looked comfortable.

 

Despite all of this, Sportacus couldn't help but to believe that Robbie would rather be out and about scheming or eating cake rather than recovering from hypothermia and trapped with his nemesis.

 

Were they nemesis? The recent events would indicate otherwise, but Robbie was such an unusual person that he wasn't sure how to interpret his behaviour.

 

Were they friends? Sportacus had offered his friendship to Robbie before only to have it be rejected. Why would that change now? Sportacus was sure that after the snow was cleared, they would go back to their regular routine.

 

But maybe there was a small chance that they can become close after this. For Sportacus, what he and Robbie have gone through creates a bond. His kind relied deeply on bonds to live. Elves like him mated for life. But Sportacus has never met anyone that he would like to spend the rest of his life with. Of course, there were the kids, but he thought of them as his own and was very protective of them. But someone who interested him romantically? Never.

 

Robbie came to his mind. _No, Robbie is different,_ he told himself. Well, what was he to know? He had zero experience with romance, unlike Robbie. Maybe if he asked Robbie about when someone knew they were romantically attracted to someone, he'd know. However, he feels that he'd be overstepping. He doesn't want to bother Robbie with his own nonexistent love life, the villain was busy. Yes, he would have to figure this one out by himself.

 

But for now, he'll just watch the man next to him in bed in silence.

 


	6. Time to Pour Your Heart Out and Cry On Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> now it really gets depressing also guess who realises they're in love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only reason I stopped at this part is cuz I haven't written the rest. I have finals next week and I'll probably write some more but idk if I'll publish it. Just bare with me and yell at me in the comments. EDIT: i finished the next chapter.
> 
> WARNINGS: Robbie gets depressing and they cry together

Sportacus woke to the sound of sobbing. He quickly opened his eyes only to find Robbie curled up under some towering piles of boxes. His face was buried in his lap and he softly cried on his arms leaving them damp with tears. Sportacus watched this for some seconds, wondering what he should do.

 

“Robbie?”, he asked as he crouched down next to the crying man, “what's wrong?”

 

“Plenty,” he said without looking up, “plenty is wrong”

 

The hero carefully placed his hand on Robbie's shoulder, “what do you mean?”

 

Robbie breathed in a sob with some struggle, “nothing,” he wiped his tears, “you have no idea what I'm talking about”

 

Sportacus presses on, “Robbie, please, I want to help you”

 

“Of course you do,” he said with a cold laugh, “you're the hero, aren't you?”

 

“Well, ye--”

 

“Then figure it out! You're the one with the magical crystal that beeps, so take a wild guess, _sportamoron._ What. Is. Wrong. With. Me?”. Robbie sounded more angry than sad.

 

Sportacus wasn't sure how to answer. Robbie was obviously in distress but the elf wasn't sure if going along with his self-hating rants was a good idea or not. “I don't--Robbie, there's nothing wrong with you”.

 

“Of course there is, Sportasshole! What kind of sane person acts like this, huh?!”. He started sobbing again, this time more passionately and with ragged breaths.

 

Sportacus simply and without a hesitation took Robbie into his arms and let the man sob on his chest. He waited for him to get the pain out of his system, stroking his hair for comfort. He's never seen Robbie so upset before. Sure, he's seen him angry and disappointed, and even in the brink of death, but not broken like this. This was someone who had been bent by misery for so long that when he finally snapped, it was like the weight of a decade worth of bottled up emotions came pouring down on him all at once. Sportacus wondered if Robbie had ever had someone comfort him while he cried his heart out. Crying so emotionally like this was a heavy burden on the heart, but having to endure it alone was downright torture. Having to think about Robbie in this state all alone in the cold, dark lair broke the hero’s heart. No one should be neglected like this.

 

Once Robbie was finally able to talk again, he wiped his face with his forearms. “I'm sorry you have to put up with me”.

 

“No, Robbie, I don't have to put up with you,” he said softly, “I get to be with you and offer you support when you're down”. He wished he had better ways to say how much he cared about Robbie but he couldn't find the right words

 

“Why so you say that?”

 

Why did Robbie have to ask that? Sportacus didn't know the answer. Or rather, he didn't know how to put it in words. Robbie was everything to him. He hated seeing him so miserable and alone. He wanted to show Robbie how wonderful the world is to him, how amazing the villain is in his eyes. How can someone put in words what he feels right now? He felt so much that saying it would limit its meaning. He wanted to tell him that the reason he wanted to help is because Robbie was dear to him. Because Robbie had shown him a whole new perspective of things. How Robbie had unlocked a part of his brain that he didn't know he had; for the first time in forever, he felt brand new emotions. He felt sorrow and despair, hopelessness and intense fear, anxiety and protectiveness like never before. Most importantly, Robbie had shown him that the most beautiful people have endured the worst. Robbie’s heart was shaped by his trauma and his horrible past, and that made him so closed. But these past few days have made Robbie open up to Sportacus and show him how delicate and emotional he truly is; a softie. All of this that Sportacus felt towards Robbie could not be put into a simple answer to Robbie's question. So he did what he was best at: he used actions rather than words.

 

Sportacus gently placed his hands on Robbie's face and cupped his cheeks. With his own baby blue eyes, he started deep into Robbie's gray eyes that had been reddened by tears. They were glassy from his crying and he could see his own helpless reflection staring back at him. But his reflection didn't matter to him right now. This beautiful, broken man is who he cares about solely. The elf traces his hands all over his face, feeling the creases on his forehead from his constant state of frowning. He felt his temples that were tense with frustration, and let his fingers fall down his nose, stopping at the tip before descending further down. And finally, with only his thumb, he felt Robbie's soft lips. They were naturally pink and were often glossy due to being constantly bitten by their owner. It was this simple lips that left the hero in a frozen state; all he could do was wonder at them. Wonder how, very much like Robbie, alone they looked. They needed a companion to keep them from cracking. And in that moment, Sportacus could only imagine himself as the person who will spend the rest of his life by Robbie's side.

 

Too overwhelmed by the sight of Robbie's loneliness , Sportacus decides to close the gap between them. Without breaking eye contact, he sea the villain’s face get closer to his own. He could now see the fine details of those cloudy eyes. Robbie was infinitely beautiful and Sportacus wanted to feel that physically. Staring was no longer sufficient to him. And without taking it anymore, he places his lips on Robbie's.

 

Robbie had been silent this whole time. He felt his own face burn against the touch of the elf’s hands and the blood going to his head as he leaned in closer and closer. And finally, when their lips touched, he no longer felt alone.

 

Unlike any other kiss Robbie had experienced, this one wasn't about the physicality. This one was driven by pure emotion and passion. It was sloppy and full of tears, yes, but it was perfect to them. Finally, all that tension that they've built up, especially for the past few days, was released from their bodies.

 

As the more experienced one, Robbie leads Sportacus along their kiss. The villain took the hero’s upper lip with his own and gently let him get used to the sensation of someone else's lips against your own. Step by step, Robbie opened up to Sportacus, allowing the elf to venture in deeper. And finally, when he could tell Sportacus was running out of breath, he broke them apart.


	7. Lots of Awkward Silences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally did it. But it gets awkward and someone starts to get massively flustered. Also, shocking ending.  
> NO WARNINGS.

They didn't open their eyes, not yet. They both paused to savour in the moment. The only sound was their ragged breaths gasping for the missing oxygen that was lost during their passionate moment.

 

 _Well_ , Robbie wouldn't call it _that_ passionate, it was just a kiss; he's done more explicit things, but those don't really matter to him right now. What matters is that Sportacus kissed him.

 

Oh my god. He _kissed_ him.

 

The whole degree of the situation just dawned on Robbie and his brain was experiencing a malfunction. He jerked his eyes open and saw Sportacus still short of breath (which is an unusual look for the fit elf). He gasped loudly.

 

“Robbie?”, the elf asked with a groggy voice, still entranced by the heat of the moment.

 

Now it was Robbie's turn to be at a loss of words. “I, uh...y-you... _you_ kissed _me_ ”

 

Regaining his usual energetic self, Sportacus grinned and said, “yes, I did…is that okay with you?”

 

“Well, you can't really take it back, but, uh, yes….it's okay--I MEAN--it was more than okay, the--”, he made a series of random hand gestures.

 

“Our kiss”.

 

 _God_ , why was Robbie being the flustered one right now, he had way more experience than the elf but at the moment he was acting like a teenager who just kissed his crush. Uh--not that Sportastupid was his crush or anything. They were just, er, accidental acquaintances.

 

“Wa--was _I_ okay?”

 

“Huh? Oh, yes. I mean, for your first time, you did well. Not that sloppy but, uh, needs practice, as you say”

 

The hero chuckled, “yes, practice is very important if you want to be good at something”. He stared a little bit at Robbie waiting for a response.

 

Mustering up what little confidence and sass he had left after pouring his eyes out in front of the elf _again_ , the villain said in a forced voice, “ha, well, who better to practice with than the Master of--of” Robbie struggled to keep up the false facade.

 

Sportacus shook his head tenderly and gave Robbie a quick peck in the cheek. This drew the villain to a blushing and stuttering mess. Well, at least he wasn't a crying mess anymore.

 

* * *

 

Oh, how he loves Robbie. He wasn't afraid or hesitant to admit that now. He, Sportacus, Hero Number Ten and professional Sports Elf, was in love with Robbie Rotten. He wanted to scream that out loud so that the entire town--nay, the entire _world_ would hear him.

 

Slight complication, though; they were still very trapped in the lair. Actually, now that he thought about it, this storm had gone on for far too long. Sportacus was pretty sure it was about 3 days ago since they sought refuge in the cold bunker. Well, it wasn't that cold anymore. I mean, maybe literally, but the bond that had formed after the hardships and tears and confessions the two had endured had made their situation not as unpleasant as it started as. They were not the same people as they were when they entered 3 days ago. Sportacus was now more aware of his and Robbie's emotions. He finally managed to see the villain open up to him. Also, he was no longer a lip virgin.

 

Robbie had changed Sportacus for the better (even if the process wasn't pleasant) and Sportacus had helped Robbie to feel better. The hero didn't want to speak for the villain and his feelings, but he was certain Robbie no longer intended to run him out of town. Or, actually….

 

“Robbie?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Are you still gonna try to kick me out of town?”

 

The villain scoffed, “of course, Sportakook, that's my job!”

 

“Oh”, he sounded more disappointed than he intended. Robbie noticed this.

 

In a softer voice, the villain added, “but that doesn't mean I hate you. I mean, when have my plans ever actually worked?”

 

“Well, you have come close to getting rid of me a few times”, he recalled, “and you've even come close to killing me once or twice”.

 

“Oh,” Robbie had never realised how sinister some of his plans actually were, “that was never my intention”.

 

“Is that so?”, the elf said in a smug tone.

 

“Yes!” exclaimed Robbie, “I have never had intentions of _killing_ you!....my plans just tend to backfire….”

 

“Well, I think they're very creative”.

 

That made him blush, _again_ , “well! That's obvious, I'm a genius!”

 

The hero chuckled, “that you are, Robbie!”.

 

There was another awkward silence. To be honest, they experienced these so often, they had become part of their normal conversations (If you could even call them normal).

 

The elf was the one to break it this time, “I'm going to go get some food”.

 

“Uh, could you get me some?”, he called after Sportacus who had begun to walk towards the kitchen, “I'm quite hungry”.

 

He paused, “but Robbie, there's only Sportscandy left”.

 

 _Ugh_ , this is what he gets for making stupid purchases and leaving the worst for the end, “uh…..th-that's fine! I guess I'll have some of that _Sportscandy_ ”.

 

Robbie had never seen Sportacus eyes light up like that (well, maybe when Robbie catches the elf staring at him but whatever).

 

“Okay!”, the hero said with the biggest smile.

 

Now _this_ was the worst decision Robbie had made since he neglected to take a sweater with him 3 days ago. “I am so going a regret this”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fyi, the shocking ending is that Robbie is going to eat sportscadny :O .  
> Also sorry this took longer than i intended to update and it's a bit short, but I got caught up with, uh, stuff.


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